


i got my swim trunks (and my flippie-floppies)

by amosanguis



Series: author's fave [110]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Cruise Ships, Cruise Vacation, Fluff and Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Meet-Cute, Multi-Lingual Jim Kirk, Rom-com, aos au, nero i don't know her, title from a song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22602778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amosanguis/pseuds/amosanguis
Summary: Jim celebrates his newly awarded captaincy with, what else? A cruise. And a cruise is exactly the last place Jim thought he’d ever find a Vulcan.Spock, the victim of a prank, decides to spite his tormentors and treat the cruise as a training exercise to prepare himself for theEnterprise’supcoming deployment under its new captain – whoever that may be.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Series: author's fave [110]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/427960
Comments: 12
Kudos: 388





	i got my swim trunks (and my flippie-floppies)

**Author's Note:**

> \--Title from "I'm On A Boat" by The Lonely Island  
> \--I've had this idea since my own cruise and finally got it put into words! very exciting! I had a blast writing this, so hopefully you have fun reading it.

-z-

_Two weeks ago_

_Day 1 – Boarding Day_

Jim shares a smile with the woman going over his embarkation docs and when she asks what he’s celebrating, he winks and says, “Job promotion.” He doesn’t tell her that he’s in Starfleet (though there is a little icon on the corner of his card that identifies him as such) nor that that promotion was to that of captain of the _United Star Ship Enterprise_.

For some reason, as she welcomes him aboard, Jim doesn’t think she would appreciate the joke.

Bones sure as hell didn’t.

(Bones blinks at him.

“Goddamn it, Bones, it’s _funny_ ,” Jim insists.

Bones leans forward. “I think that explosion may have rattled Pike’s brain more than he wants to admit if he still thinks handing his ship over to you is a good idea.”

Jim’s leans forward and puts his head in his hands and he laughs – he laughs until there’re tears in his eyes.

“You ain’t right,” Bones mutters.

“Bones—”)

The first place Jim goes as soon as he’s aboard the cruise ship _Enterprise of the Seas_ (“Goddamn it, Bones, it’s _funny_ ”) is to the top decks. He grabs a piña colada from the bar and immediately searches out the adults-only pool area, called the solarium.

Jim sets down his carry-on bag, an old backpack that’s served him well for years, on an unclaimed pool chair – the cabins wouldn’t be ready for another couple of hours – happy that the solarium was relatively empty this early on boarding day – and sets his drink by his feet just long enough to pull his shirt over his head and kick his flip flops off.

The sun-hot deck briefly stings the soles of his feet, but before the sting can graduate into actual _pain_ , Jim is in the water. There are shelves in the pool lowered just below the actual rim, where patrons can sit in about an inch or so of water, their legs free to dangle in the deeper parts of the pool.

Jim settles himself on the far end of one such shelf, and leans back against a well-placed wall – decorated with glittering colored tiles to form an intricate picture of a trio of tropical fish swimming together – taking the time to nod and smile at another couple, a humanoid pair with silver skin and golden eyes, their species called Kaqun, before he lifts his drink back to his lips and begins people watching.

Jim is on his second-maybe-third drink, and he’s made some new friends in his fellow poolmates, when he spots someone walking into the solarium – this in and of itself is not unusual, people, human and alien alike, have been wandering in and out of the place, many simply exploring and not stay very long – but _this_ person is walking with such a perfect and efficient posture, it makes Jim’s own back ache out of sympathy.

 _Vulcan_ , is Jim’s first thought, but he can’t quite get a good enough look at the male-like figure’s ears to confirm, and the maybe-Vulcan does nothing more than a passing sweep over the area before disappearing out of the solarium.

One of Jim’s new friends pats him on the arm, asking if something has caught his eye – then she _winks_ and Jim knows what she means.

“Call me crazy, Gaila,” Jim says, his eyes staying on the entrance, “but I think I just saw a Vulcan.”

Gaila and the others around them laugh.

“No Vulcan would be caught dead on a cruise ship,” Gaila says.

“You’re right,” Jim says with a sigh, leaning back against his wall as he takes the final sips of his drink. “Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. You’d probably have to be incredibly tricky to get one onboard.”

-

Spock knew as soon as the vehicle stopped at the docks what had happened.

He’d been tricked.

“Spock,” Nyota says, “if you come back now, it means they’ve won.”

Spock wants to tell her that Vulcans are beyond such things – but, looking at the wild press of humanity around him, he knows that this is not the truth. At least, it wasn’t for some members of his species who seem to have not outgrown their foolish bullying.

“Make the most of it, Spock,” Nyota says, and he can hear her apologetic smile through their comm link.

“I think I shall endeavor to do just that,” he says, pushing out a breath that’s not quite a sigh. “It has been some time since I have been around this many humans, I believe I will take this as an opportunity to fortify my mental shields in preparation for our upcoming five-year mission.”

Nyota laughs and they talk a few more moments longer – just long enough for her to start encouraging him to get laid.

“I will have a cabin in which to lay, yes,” Spock says, confusion in his voice.

“ _Sex_ , Spock,” she clarifies.

Spock lifts an eyebrow. “I do not require—”

“I know you don’t _require_ it,” Nyota says, “but you’re on a _cruise_. Let yourself get a little adventurous, will you? Eat or drink something you normally wouldn’t. Talk to people you may not normally; _do_ people you may not—”

“I understand,” Spock says and they both pretend that Spock isn’t actively planning ways to do _none of those things_.

The cabins will not be ready until 12 pm according to the signage posted along the passenger decks, and the porter who had taken Spock’s luggage assures Spock his bag will be delivered to his cabin a short time after that, so Spock finds himself with 1.17 hours of time “to kill” as Nyota would call it. Spock decides to take this time and use it to familiarize himself with the ship’s layout.

Spock has studied the available schematics of the _Enterprise of the Seas_ as he went through the boarding process, so he knows where to find the various bars, pools, and dining and entertainment establishments—

(there were also certain zoned areas for telepathic or psi-sensitive species, but Spock had resolved to avoid these areas as they may hinder or otherwise interfere with his training)

—and he finds himself going to each of these places in turn, committing the sights of them to his memory quickly before moving on to the next destination. He takes in not only their layouts and overall aesthetic, but also how crowded they appeared to be – which will help him decide later the most optimal places to conduct his training.

The top prospects, in order of fullness, were the Windjammer (an informal buffet and dining area), the Promenade (a central walkway on the interior of the ship with many storefronts and drinking- and eating establishments), and the solarium (not actually very full, but quiet and possibly a place of respite should Spock need one without having to make the entire journey down to deck two, the location of his cabin).

Spock had also found himself eyeing the rock wall and thought that the height and complexity of it may be satisfactory enough to partake in. Perhaps on one of the days the ship was in port and he would be undisturbed.

-

Jim cuts himself off after his fourth piña colada. He then says good-bye to his newfound friends, tells them all (honestly, if you could believe it) that he looks forward to spending his next seven days with them, before he retires to his cabin.

Jim had originally paid for an interior room but had then received a call from the cruise company saying that he was being offered an upgrade, free of charge, to a cabin with a balcony and would he like to take it? Jim had hesitated for only a second before accepting it. And now look, Jim can’t prove anything, but he thinks his promotion and maybe Pike, the meddling old goat that he is, had a hand in the upgrade.

Jim sighs at the thought of his mentor and the battlefield wound that took away Pike’s use of his legs but gave him a promotion to admiral – thus opening up a spot for captain, for which Pike had put Jim in for. Some of the upper echelons of Starfleet hadn’t been happy about Pike’s recommendation, but Pike had submitted one name and one name only as a candidate to replace him on the _USS Enterprise_ and had refused to budge.

Jim giggles, thinking about the _Enterprise_ that awaits him in the spacedock and the _Enterprise_ he was currently on, as he takes in the room – the crisp edges on the bed, the neatly laid out sheets of papers _(actual_ paper! how fun!) welcoming him aboard and describing the day’s activities, the viewing screen set into the wall playing a commercial about the importance of washing one’s hands. Jim pokes around in all the nooks and crannies of the room, opening every cabinet (and happily finding an abandoned thing of spray-on sunblock) and drawer and examining the interior of the closet.

Jim finishes checking over his room before he reaches into his backpack and pulls out several toiletries, as well as a nice (gold, because again, Jim is _hilarious_ ) dress shirt and a pair of slacks for his first dinner aboard the ship. He hangs them up and sprays them down with a wrinkle release, and in a matter of seconds both the shirt and pants are looking fresh and not at all like they’ve been at the bottom of Jim’s bag since he threw them in there that morning in Iowa.

Jim then heads for the refresher, takes a quick shower, and, after setting an alarm, plants himself face-first into his pillows – ready to sleep off his piña coladas and the morning’s travels.

He drifts off to sleep to the sound of the ship’s horn signaling their departure from port.

-

_Day 2 – Sea Day_

Spock spends his first day out to sea observing the Promenade area – grabbing a chair and settling down in an out-of-the-way corner where he could still see much of what was happening.

One of the waitstaff from the nearby venues – an old English-style pub – soon spots him anyway and, with a too wide smile, approaches him and asks if he’d like anything to drink, sir? Spock, noting that it may seem strange should he just sit and stare at passersby, asks the young man to simply bring him something random from the menu. He grins at him and promises to be back soon before he turns away, his prehensile tail flicking neatly to grab a discarded napkin from the floor.

Whether they meant it or not, Spock’s pranksters have done him a great service – Spock has found and repaired several weaknesses in his mental shields. For example, he is now more than ready should a third human child run up to him and grab his hands for his attention, just to demand that he allow them to touch his ears.

Spock meditates deeply that night. The next day, he would try one of the pool areas. Though, he makes a mental note, he may have to work a little more on “blending in” so to speak.

-

Jim does not leave the solarium for anything except meals and the occasional nap on his own balcony when the noise of crowd or the consumed alcohol gets the better of him.

_Day 3 – Sea Day_

The third day is looking like it’ll be much like the second – he’s just accepting something very strong and very fruity, it’s got a little umbrella and everything, from a member of the waitstaff, when he sees someone with a very stiff posture walking into the solarium.

There’s no doubt about it this time.

That there was _definitely_ a Vulcan.

A Vulcan wearing a simple blue shirt and simple blue swim trunks – both of which bore the cruise line’s logo, meaning he’d obviously just purchased them at one of the ship’s stores.

Jim is immediately _aching_ to go and talk to him. Jim slides his sunglass down his nose, the better to watch as the Vulcan (gracefully) pulls his shirt over his head—

(showing off an expanse of green-tinged skin that Jim desperately wants to photograph because no one will ever believe him that he a) not only saw a Vulcan on a cruise ship, but also b) that Vulcan _voluntarily_ took off a layer of clothing! In front of people! Who could touch him! _What?!_ )

—and then situates himself in a deck chair that has not only an optimal view of the ocean in front of them, but also of every being in the solarium. The Vulcan then pulls out a PADD and Jim knows, he _knows_ , that the Vulcan is not reading a thing on it. Instead, Jim watches as the Vulcan’s eyes move minutely, tracking those moving around him.

 _People watching_ , Jim deduces.

Jim leans back against the wall – he’s back in his spot in the pool from the first day – pushing up his sunglasses as he tongues at the straw of his drink, and openly sets about watching the Vulcan watching everyone else. Jim keeps track of the time, mentally starting a little stopwatch as soon as his back hits the cool tile behind him, to see how long it takes the Vulcan to notice.

-

Spock notices immediately and he concludes that the human should contact a medical professional for his oral fixation.

-

Jim has a lot of things to say about the way the Vulcan doesn’t even squint in the brightness of the Caribbean sun. He knows that Vulcan’s _40 Eridani_ suns technically burn brighter and hotter than Earth’s _Sol_ , so Jim guesses it makes sense that the Earth’s sun is seemingly having so little effect on a Vulcan.

Jim takes a sip of his drink.

He bets the pointy-eared bastard isn’t even wearing any sunblock. Maybe he should check. Y’know, out of a sense of cultivating good-will and camaraderie between himself and his fellow passengers.

-

Spock gives up pretending to pay his PADD any attention as the human-with-the-oral-fixation approaches him.

He refuses to let his eyes be drawn to the way the water slid off said human’s skin as he eased his way out of the pool, pausing to slip his feet into a pair of discarded flip flops, before he made his way – rather confidently, Spock has to admit – over to Spock’s chair.

“May I help you?” Spock asks.

The human smirks – and then he raises his hand, fingers splayed appropriately in the ta’al.

-

Jim wants this moment to last forever.

One only had so many chances to surprise a Vulcan and the quirk of their eyebrow and brief jerk-nod of their head was the equivalent to a human falling out of a chair in surprise.

It gets better – watching as the Vulcan reflexively raises his hand to return the salute. And for the final touch—

“ _Excuse me for bothering you_ ,” Jim says in effortless Vulcan, fixing a charming smirk in place. “ _But I have to ask_ —”

-

Once he gets past flawless Vulcan coming from a human’s lips and understands the words themselves, well, if Spock were a lesser creature, he would roll his eyes at the inanity of the question. There was little Earth’s sun could do to harm a Vulcan, even a half-Vulcan such as himself.

He makes sure to tell the human this.

-

God, he was _sassy_ and Jim was _falling in love_.

“What’re you pretending to work on?” Jim asks, switching over to Standard, motioning towards the PADD in the Vulcan’s hands.

The Vulcan purses his lips, but answers Jim’s question anyway. “I am not pretending anything,” he says. “I am working on fortifying my mental shields and I have observed that prolonged stillness may seem—”

“A little creepy?” Jim asks, helping himself to the chair beside the Vulcan’s.

The Vulcan looks away, but says, “Yes. Creepy.”

“Y’know,” Jim says, leaning in and lowering his voice in a conspiratorial manner, “if you don’t need to _see_ what’s happening, you could just pretend to nap. Or meditate – I know you Vulcans like to meditate.”

-

Frustration is a human emotion, but Spock can admit that he is frustrated that he himself had not thought about feigning sleep.

“I admit to being more concerned with being able to see around me,” Spock admits. “I was,” he hesitates, “ _accosted_ several times yesterday by small children.”

The human besides him gives him a _what’re you gonna do?_ shrug, then says aloud, “If you want to try the nap thing, I’ll keep watch for you, mister…?”

Spock eyes the human beside him, looking for any sign of falseness – but he finds none. He is not surprised – the human knew the language of Vulcan and spoke it well enough that he must have had a Vulcan teacher. “Spock,” he says with a nod. “My name is Spock.”

The human grins wide and returns the nod, “Call me Jim.”

Then Jim becomes a flurry of motion – he stands and he takes the PADD out of Spock’s hands, putting it in Spock’s pack before ducking behind Spock and finagling something with the lounge chair’s mechanism – causing it to fall flat and, just before Spock can fall with it, Jim has Spock’s pack and towel behind Spock’s head, acting as a pillow. Spock is about to make a noise of protest, but Jim is already partially covering Spock’s face with part of the towel – leaving Spock’s nose and mouth open to the air.

“Time for your meditation, Mr. Spock,” Jim says, and Spock doesn’t have to look at the human to know he’s grinning. Jim lifts a part of the towel up to make eye-contact, “I’ll let you know if I have to go anywhere. Otherwise I’ll be right beside you.”

“Were you not enjoying the pool?” Spock asks.

“The pool’s not going anywhere,” Jim says, letting the towel fall from his hand.

Spock wonders what it says about him that he allowed this manhandling.

Spock also wonders what it says about him that he can’t help but notice that, at no point during their exchange, did Jim’s skin ever make contact with Spock’s.

Spock closes his eyes and slips into a quasi-meditative state.

He keeps awareness first on himself, then spreads it out to Jim beside him. Slowly, in minute increments, Spock expands himself outward. He cannot read minds, merely sense their presence; if he is familiar or close with someone, and they are in his physical proximity, Spock can sense their emotional state – not that he often needed to as one’s emotions, especially those of his many human companions, tended to be freely expressed on their faces, in their tones, in their words.

Once he has expanded himself as far as he can, he starts building walls, closing off each presence until he is once more just aware of himself and Jim, and, after a moment, just himself.

This isn’t the hard part.

The hard part is maintaining this – the simple awareness of just himself. There are thousands of other minds on this ship and they’re all clamoring, in their own unique ways, for attention, filled and spilling over with emotion. And all of that wears on him, grinds down on his shields throughout the course of the day.

For now, Spock can’t maintain a full shut-out of everyone for very long – 1.03 hours – but he is hoping to change this over the course of the cruise, maybe get up to two or three hours. If he can do this, on a ship filled with more than four thousand souls, a ship with less than four hundred should not be much harder to handle.

Spock has been under nearly thirty minutes and is just debating rising out of meditation when he feels someone beginning to push in on his shields. There were several telepathic species onboard _Enterprise of the Seas_ , most of which were familiar to Spock, but Spock doesn’t recognize the touch of this one. It was an intrusive touch – an almost aggressive prodding, but it lacked any real strength and Spock easily dismisses it as a threat.

Spock, much to his own surprise, can sense a sudden agitation in Jim. Distantly, as if he were underwater, Spock can hear Jim snapping—

-

“Do you mind?” Jim snaps, he raises his eyebrows at the intruding Kaqun – the male half of the silver-skinned couple he talked with on day one – the Kaqun glances at Jim, wearing a sly smile.

Jim doesn’t like that smile. He doesn’t need any words from the Kaqun to know he’s pressing in on Spock telepathically.

Kaqun, for as much fun as they are in the bed, are squirrely and almost aggressive around other telepathic species. They’re a relatively new addition to the Federation and Jim wonders if the species’ almost pathological need to be the best at things, or at least the first to do something, makes them lash out. They had a tendency, too, to treat humans as a favored child – with a condescending indulgence; Jim himself had quickly grown tired of it on boarding day.

Last Jim had heard, there’d been some recent tension between Kaqun and Vulcans – though he couldn’t figure out if it was jealousy over the relationship Earth had with Vulcan, or if it was because Vulcans tended to be physically and mentally stronger than any Kaqun.

But there is one thing the Kaqun value above even being the best or the first – relationships.

The Kaqun is still wearing that sly smile and he’s still creeping forward, so, Jim reaches over, careful not to touch any bare skin, and puts his hand possessively on Spock’s thigh.

“If you would stop in your advancement,” Jim says, his voice firm – it’s his command voice, the one he uses in the midst of crisis, the one that makes people _stop_ and _listen_ to what he’s about to say.

It gets the Kaqun’s attention.

The Kaqun frowns before he sneers and huffs, then he sticks his nose in the air and turns away from them.

-

Spock was out of meditation the moment Jim’s hand grips his thigh.

He feels a questionable and almost immediate urge to return to meditation.

Spock waits until the Kaqun has walked away before he removes the towel from his face and sits up.

“Sorry about touching you,” Jim says immediately, sincerely.

“I understand why you did it,” Spock says, nodding once before making a move to stand – lifting an eyebrow with Jim stands with him.

“How did it go?” Jim asks, waving his hand around Spock’s face – Spock extrapolating that Jim means his mental exercise.

“It went well,” Spock answers, pausing in gathering his things. “Thank you for asking, Jim. However, I do find it taxing and must return to my quarters for rest.”

“I’m thinking about a nap myself,” Jim says.

Except when Spock meets Jim’s eyes, Spock doesn’t need any telepathic ability to know that a _nap_ is far from Jim’s mind – and Spock is intrigued to say the least (probably because Jim speaks Vulcan, probably because Jim stood by him and guarded him, probably because he remembers Nyota’s urging – either way, Spock is _intrigued_ ). His suspicions are confirmed when Jim steps in a little closer, his voice almost a whisper as he says—

“I’ve got a balcony. Want to see it?”

-

It is absolutely the _worst_ pick-up line and Jim wants to punch himself in the face.

But.

Then.

Spock lifts an eyebrow and he moves his face so he’s glaring at Jim out of the corner of his eye, and says, “I am not opposed.”

Vulcans are excellent at many things, Jim has found, and getting straight to the point is definitely one of them.

As soon as the door to Jim’s cabin is shut, Spock takes one perfunctory look around, eyes lingering on the balcony and its view, before he turns back to Jim, says, “I have seen your balcony.” And then he’s slamming Jim against the wall and his tongue burns against Jim’s and his skin burns wherever Jim touches and _fuck_ , Jim knows, he just _knows_ that this is gonna be _good_.

Jim isn’t as young as he used to be, but he still manages to find the energy – with a little help from a break for room service – for round three.

_Day 4 - Nassau_

Round four happens in the morning, fucking long and slow as the _Enterprise of the Seas_ pulls into Nassau. Jim comes dry right at Spock bites him, _hard_ , on the back of his neck – Spock coming with him.

Spock eases out of him and efficiently deals with the condom – but even the Vulcan looks unsteady on his feet as he grabs a washrag from the bathroom, moving back into the room to gently clean Jim between his legs. Jim winces as the feel of the rag, his skin still sensitive, sighing when Spock presses a tender kiss on Jim’s forehead.

Jim slides an arm around Spock’s neck and says, “Humans have an emotional need for cuddling after this much sex. How opposed would you be?”

Spock cocks his head to the side, seemingly giving the question its due as he considers his answer.

“Not as opposed as I would have thought,” Spock answers. He huffs a little then as Jim pulls him down and flips them, so that Spock was on his back and Jim was hugging him around his middle, intertwining their legs as he rests his head on Spock’s chest.

Jim has just enough time to be thankful he’d flipped the sign on the door to ‘do not disturb’ before he slips off to sleep.

Jim wakes up just enough to kiss Spock goodbye before he rolls back over and drifts off once more.

-

Spock goes ashore just long enough to purchase souvenir gifts for the humans in his life – namely his mother Amanda, and Nyota – both of whom had asked for something small from one of his destinations.

After he had discovered that this was indeed not a conference on the influence of maritime tradition on that of ships capable of space travel, Spock had immediately commed Nyota and then his mother – and both of them had encouraged him to stay on for the cruise and to maybe bring them something back from it.

A gift to commemorate someone else’s travel abroad had seemed illogical to Spock, but his mother had told him that it was always nice – as it meant that even while away, one’s friends were still in one’s thoughts, and that was a nice feeling. Spock had contemplated this for a moment before he said, “Very well, mother.”

He briefly considers getting something as a sort of going-away present for Captain Pike, but ultimately does not – he knows that his shipmates of the _USS Enterprise_ will be better suited to look for such gifts.

Once Spock is back on the ship, he returns to his cabin to drop off his purchases and briefly meditate before searching out a suitable location to eat lunch. Spock’s body ached in a way he was not used to – and it is something he finds he does not mind very much.

Spock knows that he is under the effects of the various chemicals his brain and body have released following multiple sexual encounters with one individual, so he turns his thoughts inward and catalogues the things his body is experiencing, before he files them all neatly away – leaving himself _feeling_ nothing, except the experience of hunger.

Spock eats in the main dining room for lunch – unwilling to venture into the Windjammer buffet just yet – before he returns to walking the ship at a sedate pace. He briefly thinks about visiting the rock wall, but he had read in the day’s shipboard itinerary that it would be closed for the time the ship was in port.

 _Tomorrow_ , he promises himself.

He takes in the various beings around him, cataloguing their features and naming the species in his mind if he knows them and consulting his PADD when he does not.

Spock then finds himself up on the pool deck and his feet take him towards the solarium before he has the conscious thought to move that way. Disconcerting, yes, but Spock attributes it to the aforementioned pleasure chemicals.

Spock spots Jim in the same pool chair as the one he had occupied the day before, when he had stood guard over Spock. Jim has half of what Spock believes to be the ship’s “drink-of-the-day” abandoned at his side and his sunglasses are in place over his eyes – but Spock can see from the steady rise and fall of Jim’s bare (and decoratively bruised) chest, and the way his mouth hangs just slightly open, that Jim is asleep.

He is also, Spock notes with some consternation, slightly pink.

Spock spots Jim backpack next to him and as he walks closer, he sniffs slightly and can tell from Jim’s scent that Jim had forgotten his sunblock. So, Spock reaches into the backpack and pulls out a can of spray-on sunblock and—

-

Jim jerks upright, sputtering as the taste and smell of sunblock assaults his mouth and nose.

He rights himself and he sees, standing smug and tall before him, Spock.

“What the hell?” Jim asks.

“You forgot to apply your sunblock, Jim,” Spock says, crouching down in front of Jim, never breaking eye contact as he places the can in Jim’s backpack. “Your skin is already turning a peculiar shade of pink. May I suggest you retire to the shade for a time?”

 _Fuck_ , Jim thinks, _that’s attractive_.

“All the things you could’ve put in my mouth and it had to be sunblock?” Jim asks, pointedly and obnoxiously lowering his voice.

Spock deals with it with good enough grace as he stands in one fluid motion. “I find the atmosphere of the Promenade pub pleasing,” he says. “Would you care to join me?”

Jim can’t help the smile breaking out across his face. “I never took you for a pub guy, Spock,” he says as he stands and begins gathering his things – making sure to pull his shirt back over his head, wincing not only at the pull of his tired muscles, but also the small sting of his burned skin. He will definitely be paying for that later.

“It is not so much that I actively seek them out,” Spock corrects. “It is simply that given the venue options onboard, this one with the Old English Pub furnishings is the one that I myself find most aesthetically pleasing. Of course, if you prefer, the karaoke- or sports bar will also be acceptable.”

Jim can read between the lines. “You just mean it’s quiet,” he says, smiling softly at Spock.

Spock nods, echoes, “Yes. It is quiet.”

Jim isn’t quite sure how it happens, but one minute he and Spock are discussing beer, both its history and the various techniques used in its making, and the next, they’re arguing whether or not the trilithium chip is the general cause for the malfunctionings of the latest nanopulse emitters.

The pub around them starts off empty, but as the day wears on and more and more people come back from ashore, the crowd begins to swell around them – forcing Jim and Spock to scoot closer together to be heard.

Jim breaks off briefly from the pub to fetch pizza from another Promenade shop for both himself and Spock, who stays behind to hold onto their table. Jim is surprised to see Gaila standing in line in front of him and when she asks what he’s been up to, Jim pulls his shirt aside – showing off his hickies and bruises – and says—

“That _was_ a Vulcan.”

—and he delights in the way her jaw drops to the floor.

Jim hadn’t known what kind of pizza Spock would like, so he brings back a slice of everything (without meat). And Spock must be a good mood because after trying all the pizzas, Jim is able to convince him to indulge in a chocalatini.

They’ve moved on from trilithium chips to theoretical warp physics to the merits of (hypothetically) disregarding the Prime Directive; they hold some of the conversation in Vulcan, Jim pleading for the practice and Spock finding it pleasing to do so. Jim guesses that they’re both members of Starfleet, but, when the conversation trails over to missions past, Spock speaks mostly of examining xenoflora and -fauna, and so Jim assumes Spock must be a member of the all-Vulcan _USS Intrepid_.

At some point, they get fresh drinks and retire to Jim’s cabin. They sit out on the balcony, feeling the wind and listening to the waves and talking quietly of military strategies and how they apply to chess.

There’s a lull in the conversation and Jim feels himself beginning to nod off – the previous night’s events and tonight’s alcohol catching up with him.

Spock looks over at him just as Jim jerks himself awake and Jim swears the Vulcan smiles at him.

“I don’t know if I’m up for anything tonight,” Jim admits as they stand and make their way inside.

Spock leans in close and presses a chaste kiss to Jim’s lips, the kiss tasting like chocolate, he’s just pulling away, when Jim grabs at the hem of Spock’s shirt.

“You can still stay, though,” he finds himself saying. “If you want.”

Spock doesn’t say anything, but he does lean down and kiss Jim again – then they’re falling backwards and into the bed, Spock pinning Jim in place with his heavier, denser weight. Jim presses languid, lazy kisses along Spock’s jaw, idly rubbing his hands along Spock’s side – delighting in the feel of Spock’s heart thumping against his palm.

“My own personal heated, weighted blanket,” Jim says, his voice a rough whisper as he tried to speak through his exhaustion. He can feel his skin stinging from the sunburn, but he doesn’t ask Spock to move – can think of nothing he wants _less_ than for Spock to move.

Spock just nuzzles into him, just as drunk and still smelling like chocolate.

_Days 5-7_

The days pass by much too quickly—

Spock saves Jim’s life (twice) from an allergy attack and thus demands a list of Jim’s allergies which Jim delights in doing just for the way that Spock’s eyes go a little cross, Jim then takes pity on him and tells him “I was born in space” and nothing else and Spock, bless him, doesn’t press;

Jim convinces Spock to join him for one of the formal nights in the main dining room – offering to pay for Spock’s tuxedo rental and everything – and Spock tells him that he has formal wear packed as he had been told the conference he _should_ have been attending would be holding a formal dinner the last night, and it’s the first time – the first time in a very long time – that Jim feels his old anger rising up at the disinterested way Spock speaks of the way he has been maligned by other Vulcans (and just as Spock didn’t probe into Jim’s hurt, Jim doesn’t probe into Spock’s);

Maybe or maybe not as a distraction, Spock invites Jim to climb the rock wall with him and they race each other to the top, with Spock winning all three times (Spock consoles Jim later that night with a blow job);

They spend an hour or two in the solarium, a towel over Spock’s eyes as he shores up his shields and works on keeping everything out (except Jim, for some reason) for as long as he can (up from 1.03 hours to 1.47 and then up to 2.001), before they head down to the pub to talk science and engineering;

—and as _Enterprise of the Seas_ pulls out of its last port to begin the journey home Jim realizes that this thing with Spock is nearing its natural end.

But, as Jim throws his head back, rolling his hips after he’s sank himself down complete onto Spock, Spock’s fingers digging into Jim’s thighs – more bruises to add to his delightful collection – Jim pushes away all thoughts about anything ending just yet. He does make a mental note to ask Spock for his comm information, but the thought is lost when Spock flips them over.

-

_Day 8 – Return Home_

The ship is pulling into its home port, the sunrise lightening the sky into brilliant pinks and oranges, and, as Spock thrusts slowly, deeply, doing all he can to draw their last time out, he thinks he should ask Jim for his comm information.

Or, maybe, just even Jim’s last name.

Spock kisses Jim goodbye – the both of them lingering – a hint of sadness and regret coming from Jim that Spock can sense through where they’re making contact. Then, Spock forces himself away and points himself towards the staircase that will carry him down the ship’s many floors, and to his own mostly unused cabin.

-x-

_Today._

“ _You_ are _my_ personal physician, Bones,” Jim says, mock serious, picking up his Fleet-issued duffel from between his feet as they both stand to make their way off the shuttle. “When I get assigned somewhere, you get to come with me. You were looking to transfer anyway! _And_ , since their current CMO is retiring, you’re getting a promotion out of it.”

Bones just continues to grumble – but Jim knows he doesn’t mean any of it, so he ignores it. Instead he casts his eyes around him, taking in the space dock’s hanger, as soon as they disembark. Someone from the _USS_ _Enterprise_ was being sent to greet them before they would all be transported onto the ship itself, then they would head down to the _Enterprise’s_ hanger deck where the change-of-command ceremony would take place.

That’s when Jim’s eyes land on someone familiar.

“Uhura,” Jim calls out, surprise making him drop the formalities.

The lieutenant smiles tersely at him, playing up her animosity towards him, her voice sickly sweet as she says, “ _Captain_ Kirk. I am here to escort you to the _USS Enterprise_.”

Jim keeps grinning as he offers her his hand, which she takes. “It’s good to see a familiar face, lieutenant,” he says sincerely.

Uhura looks over his shoulder. “Really, Kirk?” she asks. “Because the way I hear it, you kidnapped one of the _Farragut’s_ senior medical officers to be your familiar face.”

Jim claps Bones on the shoulder and says, “I did, I did do that. But I’ll be promoting him to CMO of the _Enterprise_ , so he said he forgives me.”

“I am delighted at this opportunity,” Bones says, completely deadpan.

Jim’s smile widens, looking between Bones and Uhura, “This is gonna be great.”

The three of them beam aboard the _Enterprise_ and the first person Jim sees is Pike, wheelchair-bound and smiling up at him proudly.

Jim steps off the dais and he’s just about to shake Pike’s proffered hand when a noise – something strangled and choked off – attracts his attention and he looks towards it and sees—

“ _Spock_.”

Spock’s face is _green_ and Jim feels his own face flushing as they stand there, completely frozen, unable to move – minds filled with very _distinct_ memories. Spock is wearing dress science blues. Spock’s got Commander’s stripes around the cuffs of his sleeves and that means—

“Spock—”

Jim doesn’t know why he can’t finish that sentence and ask if Spock is supposed to be his first officer – but it makes the both of them flush even more. Oh, god. Someone needs to step in and—

-

Spock’s brain is completely offline as he searches his memory for any hint that _Jim_ , who is apparently _James Tiberius Kirk_ – son of a deceased savior and Pike’s own protégé, the man who graduated Starfleet Academy in three years, served onboard the _Farragut_ for four, and was now being tapped to replace Pike onboard Starfleet’s flagship – _that Jim_ was going to be Spock’s new captain.

And Spock can find nothing.

Nothing that Jim said nor did. Except—

Spock steps forward, his voice maybe only slightly accusing as he says, “You are taking command of the _USS Enterprise_ and you went on a cruise on the _Enterprise of the Seas_?”

Jim blinks at him. Then he shrugs and he looks at Spock as if expecting Spock to somehow understand when Jim says, “Yeah. It’s _hilarious_.”

Before Spock can ask any more questions – a commotion starts when the man who beamed up with Jim whirls on Spock and shouts “ _You’re Spock?_ ” at the same time Uhura whirls on Jim and shouts “ _You’re Jim?_ ” at the same time Pike shouts “ _Y’all know each other?_ ”

And through it all – Jim never looks away.

-

Spock doesn’t look away.

It’s been almost a week since they’d seen each other, but for Jim, it feels like almost no time at all has passed since Spock kissed him that last time.

Jim sobers at that thought.

He may have been pining and kicking himself since he debarked _Enterprise of the Seas_ , but this _Enterprise_ , the one he’s on now, isn’t a cruise ship and the mission in front of them is for five years of deep, unchartered, unknown space.

“Mr. Spock,” Jim says, voice firm and effective at cutting through the rest of the noise. “If Admiral Pike will excuse us for a few moments, could you show me to the nearest conference room?” Jim looks to Pike for the excusal—

Pike just throws his hands up and waves them away. “I’ll expect answers,” he hollers at their retreating backs.

Spock leads them to the captain’s ready room just off the bridge and as soon as the door closes behind them, faces Jim – his face blank, but his eyes wary. It’s crazy, Jim thinks, how easily they talked on the cruise ship and yet how, here, now, it’s hard to think of a good way to start. So, Jim stops thinking, and he dives in.

“First and foremost, Mr. Spock,” Jim says, his voice serious. “If you want a transfer off this ship – you’ll have it. Just please know that I will _never_ hold our personal relationship against you – everything that happened off this ship can stay off this ship.”

-

Spock lifts an eyebrow as he considers the captain’s words.

“I, too, will never bring what has happened off this ship onto it,” Spock echoes. “But, sir, I must confess that talking with you was satisfying and mentally stimulating. I find that your thinking complements my own and, thus, I do not believe a transfer will be necessary.”

The captain sighs in relief – his shoulders visibly sagging as if a weight has been lifted from them.

Definitely out of simple curiosity, and absolutely _not_ out of hope, Spock asks, “Will you wish to continue our sexual encounters?”

-

The question startles a laugh out of Jim, and he reaches over and claps Spock on the shoulder, says, “Let’s see how well we work together first. Uhura can tell you all sorts of horror stories from our Academy days.”

“I look forward to hearing them, captain,” Spock says with a nod, leaning just slightly into Jim’s hand.

-x-

_Three years from now._

“Do you?” Scotty asks.

“I do,” Jim says.

“And do you?”

“I do,” Spock says.

“Then you may kiss – cementing your marital union in front of your higher powers and, of course, your crew.”

First, they press their fingers together and then Jim, with a soft chuckle, presses a chaste kiss to the corner of Spock’s mouth – the most Spock will allow in public and had only consented to for this occasion.

“When we get back home,” Jim says, pulling his lips away but leaving his fingers still pressed to Spock’s, “I think we should take another cruise.”

Spock gives Jim a Look, but ultimately he says, “I do not think I will be opposed, Jim.”

And Jim laughs and Spock smiles his not-smile and they lock arms and let the crew of the _USS Enterprise_ gather around them, celebrating them and their future.

-z-

End.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the [wash your hands video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48etEql31D4) is real and it's gold.


End file.
